Toddle Along Tuesday - Mommy's Dreams

Carina,
There are so many things I hope you experience in life. So many dreams I have for you.

I envision applauding you as you pass by me wearing your cap and gown - graduating from wherever your dreams have taken you. I know that no matter where you decide to go and what you choose to do, I will be so, so proud of you.

I hope that your curiosity will take you to faraway places and that you'll experience everything that life has in store for you. But, I selfishly hope that you will never stay away too long, and will always come home to me.

I dream that one day I will help you straighten your wedding veil, smooth out your dress, and give you a kiss on your cheek as you prepare to walk down the aisle. He better think the world revolves around you - or else I'm not sure if your Daddy will be willing to give you away ;)

I hope you marvel at the life that you will someday create and watch in awe as they grow, as I have had the privilege of watching you. I hope the snuggles and cuddles bring happy tears to your eyes - like the ones your sap of a Mommy is crying right now, as she writes this.

But most importantly I hope that all the pain you will unfortunately {yet inevitably} experience over the course of your life turns you into a strong, compassionate, and resilient woman. I wish I could protect you from all harm that comes your way - and I will certainly try my best to do so. Just know that no matter what happens, I will be here to hug, support, and comfort you. Always.

Please stick your tongue out at me like this when you're 30, I beg you

M wrote a similar post a little while back which made me cry. Check out Daddy's hopes for his daughter.

P.S. Tell me, does that giraffe on her onesie not look eerily similar to the giraffe in my blog header?



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This week's Toddle Along Tuesday topic is Hopes and Dreams. So link up an old post or a new post...whatever you'd like, so long as it is about what you want for your children. There are no rules, except that you link up a relevant post rather than your whole blog.

A thank you and "my poops are usually loud"

While looking through Google Analytics the other day I noticed that people are arriving on my blog by searching for some really ridiculous things. I'd like to share some of them with you but first - Carina and I would like to thank this month's top 5 blog referrers!

Thanks, friends!

Top 5 Blog Referrers
kjw at Baby W is on the Way
Jenni at Jenni from the Blog
Ashley at The Stauffer Shenanigans
Kristin at Our Growing Garden
Katie at Love, Lattes & Lullabies

10 Most Hilarious Search Terms - (linked to the posts they led to)
husband used socks
dirty mustache costume
milf contest
my poops are usually loud
peekaboo undies
dh milked my breasts
amniotic bag exploding stories
freakishly huge belly
hottest bloat I've ever seen

how can i fix the remote, my son drooled in it

There are so many more that are making me crack up, but we'll leave it at that for today.

What funny search terms have led people to your blog?

Steppin' Out Satuday - Date Night Sans Baby!

I can count on one hand the number of times that M and I have gone out without Carina. We live half-way across the country from most of our family and good friends, and haven't really felt comfortable leaving her with people we don't know.

Truth be told, I'm also pretty cheap. And with my quitting work and M still {only} collecting his graduate student stipend, things are a bit tight right now!

So when a friend of mine from work offered to watch Carina with his wife while M and I head out for a nice dinner (on them!) I was floored. Thank you again, guys SO MUCH - I know you read this ;)

On our way out for a baby-free night!

Top: F21

Sweater: F21
Jeans: Levi's from Kohl's - these barely fit me before I got pregnant. They fit great now...eee!
Shoes: Payless

Necklace: F21 {what can I say, I'm an F21 whore today}

Earrings: From a glass artisan in Murano, Italy

Bag: Coach

In an effort to feel pretty again, I had M take a few close ups of me. Anyone have any good tips on how not to feel awkward when someone is taking photos of you? I am not at all photogenic and it has always made me uncomfortable...

Please ignore the gas station behind me

We celebrated the anniversary of when we first started dating - 6 years ago. Who knew that here we would be, 6 years later...married, with an adorable little girl, and M about to become Dr. M. Crazy how time flies, isn't it?

I almost feel bad posting this

Carina tried so hard to get the Disney Princess story time CD out of the cover of her book this afternoon. Watch what happens when she gets frustrated. When I start narrating half-way through, you can't even hear me over her shrieks...


This just might be her most epic tantrum yet.

P.S. Don't mind the phantom "ABC" song that randomly starts playing in the background. I think our Bright Starts Activity table might be possessed...

And now for something happier

Thanks again for all of your comments and e-mails regarding the hard time I'm having right now. I cannot tell you how much I appreciate your support. I'm going to see how the next few days go, and if I'm not feeling differently I plan on calling my doctor.

In the meantime I'm going to remind myself of one reason why I should be so thankful.

My peanut.

Her {almost} never ceasing smile.  The brown eyes that Daddy gave her, so big and bright. Watching her explore, discover, grow. I am so fortunate. Blessed.

We tried on her Meerkat Halloween costume yesterday evening and let's just say it was interesting. As captioned by Carina...

What is this THING on my head?

GET IT OFF OF ME!

Seriously, Mom. I am NOT feeling this.

I tried again this morning, right before we left for the local Mom group's Halloween party. Fortunately, she did a bit better! Maybe the opportunity to gnaw on tasty goodness distracted her from her costume loathing?

I'm lovin on this carrot right now

Want to get in on this?

A number of the people there weren't sure what her costume was supposed to be. I forget that not everybody watches Meerkat Manor on Animal Planet and is well acquainted with the oh-so-tiny-cuteness. When I saw this costume on sale for $4.50, I just couldn't turn it down. I don't mind having to tell people she isn't a Monkey or funny looking Lion Cub. Oh well ;)

I'm coming to get you, Mommy!

I'm not getting into mischief...

Being a Meerkat is hard work...time to crash

She laughs, and I melt.

Instant happiness.

If only she could giggle all day and night, then maybe I would feel like myself again?

Linking up with Casey Wiegand's Fall Party!

Can you get PPD this long after baby comes?

Carina is 10 months old. I don't have to wake up every 3 {or so} hours at night to feed her. She doesn't cry regularly anymore and her issues with spit up are long gone. She isn't the needy newborn that she used to be. So why does everything seem so hard right now?

Lately I am having trouble getting to sleep, and feel like crying all the time. It's almost as if I am just trying to get through each day. I'm not finding joy in anything. Most nights I can't wait to lay her down to sleep so I can have a break. But then, once she nods off I find myself feeling empty and alone {M is working all day every day to finish his thesis; I'm lucky to see him for an hour a day}.  

I have no motivation to pack for our upcoming move, plan playdates, clean, blog, or talk to friends and family. I have begun to dread going out with Carina because more often than not it results in a messed up nap schedule that makes the rest of the day a nap-strikey nightmare.

This isn't me. I'm not an empty, apathetic, joyless person.


I don't recognize myself physically or mentally.


I mean, how could anyone not be happy to spend every day with this smiley face?

Will I feel better after the move? I hope so. For now, that's what I'm going to hold on to.

Wordless Wednesday - Carina, the Model

One of M's co-workers is a budding photographer and asked if she could take a few photos of Carina for her portfolio. Carina had so much fun at the shoot, especially when trying to eat her monkey...














Which is your favorite? I think I am partial to the last one.

Toddle Along Tuesday - OMG where'd she go?

Not even a month ago I told you about annoying strangers who thought something was wrong with Carina because she wasn't crawling yet. Then about two weeks ago, it happened. She shuffled a little bit, face planted a few times, but then she was off!

CRAP. Why did I ever wish that she would start crawling already?

Last weekend was utterly exhausting. I couldn't even put her down for a minute without ensuing chaos. When I was cooking and thought she was happily playing on her mat, I heard a crashing sound and then a hysterical scream. She had taken down the full-length mirror we {stupidly} had leaning up against the wall in the hallway. It fell on top of her :( Luckily she was fine, but how on Earth did she move 25 feet in 30 seconds? Later, I left her be while I sprinted to the bathroom to try to set a record for the fastest pee ever. When I returned she was shaking the rather unsturdy entertainment center, just willing the TV to fall down on top of her - um, eek?

So in order to prevent serious bodily injury to our curious little peanut, we ordered a baby jail from Amazon. Let the record show that I am morally opposed to the term "baby jail", but couldn't think of anything else to call it that would accurately convey what it is. So baby jail it remains.

Since we wanted our daughter to live to see the day the baby jail got delivered, we set up a makeshift safe zone for her. The boxes here are mostly blocking her access to the internet cables and electrical wires, which lately have been her favorite things on which to chew. We didn't really have anything to prevent her from getting into the rest of the room...I just resigned myself to not leave her side for the next couple days for fear of a repeat of the mirror or TV situation.

It doesn't get much more ghetto than this, folks

SO YAY YAY YAY today was the day! The baby jail arrived! Here it is in all its plastic glory.

Much better. I feel like I can breathe {and pee in peace} now.

I set Carina down in her infantile Alcatraz and awaited the tantrum I was sure would follow. No fussing. No crying. She just scooted around checking out her new well-defined play area. She didn't seem to mind being confined...at all. Win for Mama G.

Oh wait. Now she's pulling up on it, and standing. OMG I am so not ready for walking yet...


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This week's Toddle Along Tuesday topic is Milestones. Thanks to Heather at Our Girls Keep Us Moving for the idea! So link up an old post or a new post...whatever you'd like, so long as it is about a milestone or a first. Maybe baby's first solid food, first steps, a pregnancy milestone, etc. There are no rules, except that you link up a relevant post rather than your whole blog.

MoBoleez Breastfeeding Hat - Review & Giveaway! CLOSED

MoBoleez breastfeeding hats make a fun and stylish alternative to your traditional nursing cover! Carina has never appreciated breastfeeding underneath the stiff and scratchy nursing cover I have. She tries to rip it off or flail her arms and legs until the cover is no longer covering anything at all. And despite wanting to, I have just never had the confidence to nurse in public uncovered {maybe someday?} So when I stumbled across MoBoleez modern bonnets for breastfeeding, I knew I had to give them a try.

Who came up with this fantastic idea?

Carina modeling her hat -
yes she is grabbing my nose in the bottom photo :)

MoBoleez was founded by Diane Sam, a nursing mother of two who wanted to design something unique and fun in support of the breastfeeding mom. Diane is passionate about breastfeeding and wanted a line of products that reflected the love between mother and baby and was playful, natural and "non-medicalized". Tired of fussing with dropping blankets and bulky nursing covers, Diane invented the breastfeeding hat as a modern, alternative nursing cover.

Patent pending MoBoleez Classic collection hats, which are solid colors with a cute graphic on top, are made of an all-natural blend of cotton and bamboo. The Couture collection hats, with their fun designs, are comprised of breathable 95% cotton/5% spandex jersey knit. We received a Classic collection hat and it is super soft. The part that goes around baby's head is stretchy, perfect for a comfy {yet difficult to remove} fit. I often have questionable messes in my diaper bag so I love the fact that the hats are machine washable in a gentle cycle and dry flat. 

At first I was a little confused by the floppy hat brim, but I quickly grew to love it when I realized:
1. The floppy brim ensures that everything stays covered.
2. The hat can squish down easily and fits in a small corner my diaper bag. It takes up so much less space than my traditional nursing cover.

MoBoleez hats come in two sizes: 0-6 months (head circumference of 16 in), and 6-12 months (head circumference of 19 in). We received the latter, and it fits Carina perfectly, with some room to grow. I highly recommend MoBoleez hats to breastfeeding mothers {or babies!} out there who are fed up with their nursing cover, or are simply looking for a stylish and comfortable alternative.

We received a Classic Collection hat with a cute bear -
says "yummy mummy" on the outside brim and "hi mummy" on the inside

Shop
You can purchase the Couture and Classic collection hats on the MoBoleez website. Be sure to check out their Facebook page for news and updates as well!

A few of the Couture Collection hats

Win
I am so excited about this giveaway! One of my readers will win a Moboleez hat of their own.

How to Enter:
This is a Rafflecopter giveaway. Click "Read More" below and then follow the instructions on the widget. All currents count! Please contact me at growingupgeeky@gmail.com if you run into any technical difficulties with Rafflecopter.

The first entry is mandatory - Visit MoBoleez.com and take a peek at the hats! Come back and leave a comment on this post telling me which is your favorite. Your comment must include this information to count. *If you are one of those having issues with my comments, send me an e-mail at growingupgeeky@gmail.com with your favorite hat, instead!*Once you complete this entry, the widget will give you the option of completing the rest. Complete more steps for more chances to win!

Blogging Tips - How to Resize and Align Buttons

I've gotten a lot of blogging and HTML questions lately. While I am not an HTML or design expert by any means, there are a few things that I have figured out! Instead of individually answering your questions I thought it might be more beneficial to post the answers here.

Question: How do you get the buttons on your blog roll page to line up so nicely?

I am anal a bit of a perfectionist and seeing buttons in different sizes and/or not lined up correctly makes me cringe {I know, pretty stupid, right?} I'm going to use the first line of my blog roll page as an example. I'm sure these bloggy friends of mine won't mind ;)

If I just copied and pasted all of their button codes without making any changes, here's what it would look like:


Eeek! This would drive me crazy. And it just doesn't look very nice and polished, does it? There really doesn't seem to be a standard blog button size on the interwebz, so you might see some buttons that are 125x125 (like mine), 150x150, 200x200, or other random dimensions. Also, some people include alignment or line breaks in their code which can throw things off.


So I tweaked the code just a little bit and here's how it looks now:


Much better! Here's how I did it:

1. I removed any line breaks "<br>" and alignment code "<center></center>"

2. I added one tap of the space bar in between each button

3. I came across a number of different ways to resize the buttons, but found this to be the easiest:
Before: <img src="http://i53.tinypic.com/2i9gq6f.jpg" />
After:    <img height="125" src="http://i53.tinypic.com/2i9gq6f.jpg" width="125" />

Just add height="size you want" after "img" and then width="size you want" after the URL of the button.

If you'd like to line them up vertically in your sidebar, resize the buttons as you see fit but don't remove the line breaks. If they aren't included in the button code, you might want to insert them after each button.

Please let me know if you have trouble with any of this, or if I left something out!